Billy Graham Center Archives

BGEA: Southern California Seminary Program Records - Collection 22

[Note: What follows is a description of the documents in this collection which are available for use at BGC Archives in Wheaton, Illinois, USA. The actual documents are not, in most cases, available online, only this description of them. Nor are they available for sale or rent.]

Brief Description.
Two booklets containing correspondence, schedules,
budgets, and staff and student evaluations relating to the
seminary programs held in conjunction with the 1963 Los
Angeles Crusade. This was one of a series of trial programs
which eventually resulted in the start of the School of
Evangelism component of major crusades. There are two audio
tapes of addresses given at the 1963 Southern California
Crusade Seminary Program. There are restrictions on the use
of this collection. For more information, please see guide.
Vol: 1 Box, 2 Audio Tapes
Collection 22 [December 1, 2004]BGEA: Southern California Crusade Seminary Program; 1963Records; 1962-1963

1 Box (DC; .5 cubic feet), Audio Tapes

Restrictions
The BGEA retains the copyright to their materials and their permission is needed for quotation. BGEA permission is also required to copy photos, audio recordings, or films in this collection, as well as paper records in any restricted files. The Archives staff will provide the form needed to request copying permission. Paper records in files not otherwise restricted may be copied. For quotation permission, contact the BGEA at bgpermissions@bgea.org

Historical Background

In 1962, acting on the suggestions of pastor Lane Adams and businessman Lowell Berry, the Billy
Graham Evangelistic Association began to investigate the possibility of holding seminars in
conjunction with crusades. These seminars would be aimed at seminary students and would
provide the future ministers with a theoretical and experiential understanding of the ways and
means of mass evangelism. According to a handout on the seminary program written in late 1962
or early 1963, "The need for a systematic program to expose theological students to the various
aspects of evangelism was soon apparent when students from Fuller Theological Seminary first
began participating in the Crusades. The program was officially organized in the Chicago
Crusade when twenty young men from seven seminaries participated. The program is under the
cognizance of Crusade Director Walter Smyth. The Administration of the program is handled by
Bob Root of the Billy Graham Association. Liaison between the administration and the seminary
students is handled by Ed Gregory. Gregory coordinated the seminary program in the Chicago
and El Paso Crusades and will serve in the same capacity in the forthcoming Los Angeles
Crusade." Also involved in the BGEA's planning of the program were Bill Brown, Robert Ferm,
and Leighton Ford. The trial programs were enthusiastically received and the program called the
School of Evangelism became a regular part of major crusades.

Folder 6-69 contains an evaluation booklet for the seminary program of the El Paso Crusade of
1962. Other files in that collection relate to Ed Gregory and the Southern California Crusade
Seminary Program.

Scope and Content

This collection contains two notebooks on the development and evaluation of the Southern
California Crusade Seminary Program. The first booklet contains general correspondence,
transcripts of exploratory interviews with various seminary officials, a proposed program outline,
a suggested budget, and a directory of seminaries in the western third of the United States. The
second booklet contains correspondence with students attending the program, their supervisors,
and miscellaneous persons, as well as extensive evaluations of the program by students.

Also in this collection are two audio tapes made of some talks given at the 1963 Southern
California Crusade Seminary Program. Tape T1 contains the address "Crisis in Urgency,"
delivered August 19, and "Crisis in Strategy," delivered August 20, both by Leighton Ford. Tape
T2 contains two addresses delivered August 23: "Crisis in Communication" by Leighton Ford
and "Historical Perspective, Contributors, and Problems of Mass Evangelism" by Robert Ferm.

Provenance

The booklets were sent to the Center by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association in April 1976.
The tapes were received by the Center from the BGEA Atlanta Office in May 1977.

Accession 76-13, 77-6

April 5, 1977

Robert Shuster

Revised, June 30, 1977

Robert Shuster

SCHEDULE OF THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CRUSADE SEMINARY
PROGRAM; 1963

Wednesday
8/14

Arrival

Thursday
8/15

9:30 - 10:30 a.m.

Welcome and Orientation (Ed Gregory)

10:45 - 12:15

Group A - Counselor Training (Charlie Riggs)

Group B - (AFTERNOON) Crusade Preparation

Friday 8/16

9:30 - 10:30 a.m.

Reorientation and prayer (Ed Gregory)

10:45 - 12:00

Local crusade development (Richard Woike)

1:30 - 3:30 p.m.

Group A - Counselor Training (Charlie Riggs)

Group B - Crusade Preparation

Saturday 8/17

Study, Relaxation

Sunday 8/18

Free Time

Monday 8/19

9:30 - 10:30 a.m.

Crusade planning and strategy (Walter Smyth)

10:45 - 12:00

Group I - Crisis in Urgency (Leighton Ford)

Group II - Motive and Goal of Evangelism (Joe
Blinco)

1:30 p.m.

Optional Discussion Groups (Joe Blinco, Leighton
Ford)

Tuesday 8/20

9:30 - 10:30 a.m.

Evangelism and Writing (Dr. Wirt)

11:50 - 12:50

Group I - Crisis in Strategy (Leighton Ford)

10:45 - 11:45

Group II - Dilemma and Dynamic of Evangelism (Joe
Blinco)

1:45 p.m.

Optional Discussion Group (Dr. Wirt)

Wednesday
8/21

9:30 - 10:30 a.m.

Relationship of Evangelism to Evangelical Movement
(Dr. John Wesley White)